[Speed Gibson,
Thursday February 14, 2008 at 11:23pm]
Premature Applause
My friends, please. You're all excited how Prime Minister Pawlenty has his veto pen ready for this year's legislative session. I'm glad, too, but let's keep some perspective.
As Governor from 1999 through 2002, Jesse Ventura and his "Big Plan" increased total state spending by 30 percent in just 4 years, from $32.7 billion to $42.7 billion. This is total spending per biennium - "all funds" - not just the general fund usually referenced. The general fund went up 26 percent, but it's the total spending that counts.
The first six years of Pawlenty will have increased total state spending by another 30 percent, from $42.7 billion to $55.4 billion per biennium. Year six is as passed in the biennium budget from last session and certainly will be revised slightly this session, but this won't affect the six year total much. (The General Fund went up 29 percent.)
I don't blame Mr. Pawlenty entirely. He was spectacular in dealing with the mega-honking deficit in 2003, but spending still went up over 7 percent that biennium, a little over the inflation rate. He collapsed in 2005 as we all know, then rebounded in 2007 when the over-confident, out of touch DFL leadership tried to both ignore and corner Pawlenty. It was close, great fun really watching Larry Pogemiller et al get schooled by our state's most adroit politician. But while the vetoes held, the spending still went up over 9 percent for the biennium.
Let me also observe that we got some tax relief and rebates from Governor Ventura, and the school portion of our property taxes was eased. As I'm sure the Democrats will agree, property taxes quickly rebounded in Pawlenty's first two years and are once again at the threshold of pain in most communities. And, Governor Pawlenty raised taxes, and during the relatively prosperous 2006-07 biennium.
We were fooled in 1998, finding that Ventura was about as Independent as his buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger is Republican. But the numbers show that state spending is rising almost as fast under Pawlenty.
As Governor from 1999 through 2002, Jesse Ventura and his "Big Plan" increased total state spending by 30 percent in just 4 years, from $32.7 billion to $42.7 billion. This is total spending per biennium - "all funds" - not just the general fund usually referenced. The general fund went up 26 percent, but it's the total spending that counts.
The first six years of Pawlenty will have increased total state spending by another 30 percent, from $42.7 billion to $55.4 billion per biennium. Year six is as passed in the biennium budget from last session and certainly will be revised slightly this session, but this won't affect the six year total much. (The General Fund went up 29 percent.)
I don't blame Mr. Pawlenty entirely. He was spectacular in dealing with the mega-honking deficit in 2003, but spending still went up over 7 percent that biennium, a little over the inflation rate. He collapsed in 2005 as we all know, then rebounded in 2007 when the over-confident, out of touch DFL leadership tried to both ignore and corner Pawlenty. It was close, great fun really watching Larry Pogemiller et al get schooled by our state's most adroit politician. But while the vetoes held, the spending still went up over 9 percent for the biennium.
Let me also observe that we got some tax relief and rebates from Governor Ventura, and the school portion of our property taxes was eased. As I'm sure the Democrats will agree, property taxes quickly rebounded in Pawlenty's first two years and are once again at the threshold of pain in most communities. And, Governor Pawlenty raised taxes, and during the relatively prosperous 2006-07 biennium.
We were fooled in 1998, finding that Ventura was about as Independent as his buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger is Republican. But the numbers show that state spending is rising almost as fast under Pawlenty.